Videos by Nokwanda Ncwane and Kamogelo Moichela
Pretoria - The EFF leader Julius Malema led a picket in Pretoria outside the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture demanding that stadiums to be opened as this will lift the economy.
“It is those women who are selling at the stadiums who use that little money to take their children to school and produce graduates. For the past two years these mothers have surrendered to poverty and you know what happens when a mother surrenders to poverty, there is no other solution, the whole family is swimming in a pool of poverty,” Malema said.
He said there are many people who wanted to say what they are saying but they are scared.
“We are not cowards, we are only going to die once and the day and how we are going to die has been decided so we do not care if you shoot us now and we die, it means it was already decided that we are going to die by a gun,” he added.
Various organisations, artists and football fans from different parts of the country also took part in the picketing outside the department’s offices pleading with Mthethwa to open up the stadiums.
Acting CEO of National Football Supporters’ Association (Nafsa) Siyabulela Loyilane demanded the stadiums should be opened. “It’s about time, we have been crying since 2020. Nathi Mthethwa must open up the stadiums.”
Manzini Zungu director of Amazulu FC said they were in solidaity with the EFF on their call for stadiums to be opened. “It’s important for the stadiums to be opened. We cannot stand on the side and look at the leaders of the community who fight our people forward while we sit in the boardrooms.”
Luyanda Mbuyazi, known as Usuthu Queen, also shared the same sentiments as others.
Video: Nokwana Ncwane
Malema also applauded the City of Tshwane and its workers for taking care of their city.
“When we were marching around the streets of Pretoria, I realised that this town is very clean. Please the workers of Tshwane keep it like that and we need to identify everywhere including Marabastad the way we know it,” he said.
The EFF leader said the ANC is using Covid-19 as an excuse to close the stadiums.
“Activities were held in Limpopo. There is no report today that after the rally there is an increase of corona in Limpopo. We had a rally in KZN, there is no report that says after the EFF left corona increased in KZN. That is the only science we can use, in the absence of it then they are lying to us,” he stated.
He said if they do not open the stadiums in a week’s time, they are marching to Safa house and FNB stadium and they’ll even sleep there.
Political Bureau